Conditions Set for Reception of Refugees

25 May 2011

Ondjiva — The Immigration Service (SME) in Cunene Province has prepared technical conditions and human resources to welcome back home Angolan refugees from bordering Republic of Namibia, part of the voluntary repatriation of national citizens still overseas.

The fact was presented Tuesday to ANGOP by the SME chief of borders, Joaquim Hukata, having stated that measures to fight illegal immigration were reinforced and that Angolans who decide to return voluntarily have the border posts of Santa Clara, Calueque and Ruacaná as entry ports.

The director said that the institution already has registration and control of 13 national citizens that in an isolated manner returned voluntarily to the country, through Santa Clara border, coming from the refugee camp of Mayukwa in the Republic of Zambia.

Joaquim Hukata stated that these citizens were taken to the cities of Lubango, Huíla Province, to an area for resettlement.

The source stressed that the voluntary and organised repatriation process of Angolan refugees starts in Zambia, at the end of May, to be launched in June at the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Data from Ministry of Welfare and Social Reintegration indicate that it is expected the arrival of 60,000 Angolan refugees, 43, 000 coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 8,000 from Zambia, 2,000 from Namibia and one hundred from Botswana.

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